Great Ponton Church of England School

Great Ponton Church of England School demonstrates good overall effectiveness, having made significant improvements since its previous inspection, which rated it as requiring improvement. The school prides itself on its inclusive environment and strong sense of community, fostering positive relationships among pupils and staff. The curriculum is ambitious, particularly strong in reading and mathematics, supported by effective teaching staff. However, there are areas for growth, particularly concerning the clarity of learning objectives in some subjects and the refinement of assessment strategies to better track pupil development.

Strengths

• Strong focus on reading as part of the curriculum.
• Inclusive environment promoting a sense of belonging for all pupils.
• High-quality resources and activities in early years provision.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Positive relationships and good communication between parents and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Key knowledge and skills not clearly identified in some curriculum areas.
• Lack of refined assessment approaches in certain subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Great Ponton Church of England School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.3% of pupils at Great Ponton Church of England School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Great Ponton Church of England School had 13.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 36.4% of pupils at Great Ponton Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Great Ponton Church of England School received £10,661 and spent £11,773 for each of its 55 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£271 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Grantham · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

What is Great Ponton Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Great Ponton Church of England School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Great Ponton Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Great Ponton Church of England School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Great Ponton Church of England School have?

Great Ponton Church of England School has 55 pupils on roll.

What age range does Great Ponton Church of England School cover?

Great Ponton Church of England School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Great Ponton Church of England School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Great Ponton Church of England School?

Great Ponton Church of England School is at Mill Lane, Great Ponton, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG33 5DT.